1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates to compacting waste materials. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of compacting normally occurring radioactive material (NORM) in tubular members, such as oilfield drill pipe or casing, sealing the compacted NORM, and storing the material downhole to prevent contamination.
2. General Background
In general, normally occurring radioactive material, hereinafter referred to as NORM, represents soil sealer or rock material which has become somewhat radioactive from its being located beneath the surface of the earth. However, oftentimes, this NORM works its way to the surface and may present RAD levels above 25 RADs, which is the lowest acceptable level. However, some areas or states require that any NORM on the surface above, for example, 25 RADs, must be removed and either decontaminated or stored away to avoid contamination.
For example, recently the State of Louisiana imposed regulations which requires that all NORM 25 RADs above existing PAD level, which is 0, must be removed from the surface and disposed of safely. Moreover, due to the heavy activity in downhole drilling in Louisiana, cuttings from the drilled wells are brought to the surface, and oftentimes the sand and shale brought up are retrieved from a "hot" formation, and therefore the equipment, likewise, becomes hot and must be cleaned. The hot NORM is then dumped on the ground, and during the past some thirty years of this activity, a great quantity of NORM must be picked up and disposed of under the new regulations.
There have been attempts to clean up the NORM in several methods. One method has been to produce a slurry with the NORM and to pump the NORM slurry into a depleted production formation. However, this method has had limited success, since the volume is greatly increased by the addition of the water.
Other objects of the invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the following description of the invention.